Barn-door latch



Feb. 26, 1924. 1,485,301

- J. G. SEBASTIAN BARN DOOR LATCH Filed Oct. 10 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l m k A v J G. $'eba/.siz'?n @WAm BY INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 26 1924. 1,485,301

J. G. SEBASTIAN v BARN DOOR LATCH Filed OctvlO. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q J asemshn 1 v .7 .{NVElfITOif iamm. BY

ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

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JOSEPH eonen SEBASTIAN, or MAcKEY INDIANA] BARN-DOOR LATCH.

Application filed October 10, 1921. Serial No. 506,576.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. SEBASTIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mackey, in the. county of Gibsonand State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Barn-Door Latches; of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to an improved latch for thedoors of barns and the like, the general object of the invention being to provide a latch which will automatically move to latching position as soon as'it is released and which is so held in locked position that animals and children cannot operate it to open the door.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate openings in the door which will permit rain and wind to enter the building.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for locking the latch on the inner side of the door so that it cannot be moved to open position from the exterior.

Another object of the invention is to make the latch simple in construction, one which can be operated faster than the ordinary latch and one which will not be affected by the sagging or expansion or shrinking of the door.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of the exterior of a building showing a door equipped with my latch.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the interior of the building.

The remaining figures are detail views.

In these views 1 indicates the door frame of a building and 2 the door thereof. This door is provided with an inclined slot 3 which has an enlarged end part 3. Staples 4 are driven into the door and the latch member 5 is slidably supported by said staples. This member is formed of a bar of metal with its lower end tapered so that it will engage the staple 6 which forms the keeper and which is driven into the door frame; The staples are inclinedly arranged so that the latch bar is held at an angle on the door, the angle being such that. the

latch bar will automatically move to locking position .under the action of gravity. A pin 7 passes through a hole in the latch bar, one portion of the pin engaging the slot 3 in the door.v This pin acts as a handle for shifting the latch bar. A notch=8 is made in the lower edge of'the latch bar for receiving a part of theouter staple. on the door when the lat-chbar is in latchin position and when the bar is in this position the pin will drop into the enlarged part of the slot so that it is necessary to first raise the latch bar in order to move the staple out of the notch and the pin out of the enlarged part of the slot'before the latch bar can be shifted longitudinally to disengage it from the keeper. As soon as the pin is released the latch bar will slide downwardly again and the pin will engage the enlarged part of the slot and the notch in the latch part will engage a part of the outer staple.

In order to lock the latch bar against movement from the exteriorof the building I pivot a locking member 9 to the interior of the door, the end of which is provided with a notch 10 for engaging the inner end of the pin to hold the same in the enlarged part of the slot. Thus the latch bar is held in locked position and cannot be operated from the exterior of the building until the locking member is moved into inoperative position.

This latch is particularly adapted for garages Where two doors are used, a large one and a small one. This latch will make it necessary to carry but one key to open the lock on the smaller door as the large doorcan be locked by my improved latch.

The pin is gripped by the forefinger and thumb and the latch bar is gently lifted so as to disengage the notch from the staple and the pin from the enlarged end of the slot. The latch bar is then slid longitudinally so as to free it from the keeper. This peculiar movement necessary to move the latch will prevent small children from operating it and also animals. The slot in the door is always closed so that there are no holes in the door to permit rain and cold air. The shrinkage or expansion of the door will not interfere with the operation of the latch. As soonas the pin is released by the fingers the latch will slide into latching position.

I may place a second notch 8 in the latch member 5 which is shallower than the notch 8. This second notch acts to hold the latch member in retracted position. hen this second notch is used, however, the latch member will not move "to locking position automatically but must be first raised to free the notch 8 from the staple 4.

It is thougl'it from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features I of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood. that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination. and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall. "within the scope of the app nded claim.

What. I claim ;is:

In combination with a door and its frame, a latch bar having 'a tapered front end,

staples on the dOOr for slidingly supporting the latch bar, said staples being arranged to hold the latch bar at an incline so that it will move to latching position under the action of gravity, a staple on the frame for receiving the tapered end of the latch bar when the same is in latching position, the door having an inclined slot therein which is covered by the latch bar, the lower end of the slot having a depending portion, a in passing through the latch bar and through the slot, said pin engaging the depending portion when the bar is in latching position, a locking member pivoted to the interior of the barand engaging the interior part of the pin to hold the same in the depending part of the slot and a notch in the latch bar for engaging one of the staples.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH GOR-G'E SEBASTIAN. 

